Pregnancy Diet Questions

[Annonymous]

I know this is hardly a new subject. :rolleyes: But I had a few fairly specific questions [arguably born of paranoia :)] and thought I'd toss them out in a separate thread.

1) I know the issue of listeria and deli meat (turkey, in my case, since that's the only "deli meat" I eat) has been covered on old pregnancy threads. I believe the consensus has been that it's okay to eat e.g. sliced turkey if you nuke it first. Is that correct? If so, how long to nuke it - until it's steaming?

Also - does the listeria risk apply to fresh-roasted turkey breast as well? I'm thinking specifically of Hay Day fresh roast turkey (if that reference means anything to anyone) as opposed to Boar's Head or other shrink-wrapped deli fare.

2) One of the food board flax seed threads mentioned potential cautions for flax consumption while pregnant (despite the fantastic health advantages). I think the caution was simply to avoid excessive flax seed consumption while pregnant. Am I OK eating multigrain bread (e.g. Whole Foods or other breadmaker) that includes flax seed (among numerous other grains)?

3) I know excessive amounts of Vitamin A have been linked to birth defects. And I know my prenatal vitamin has 2700 iu of Vitamin A. I'm a big fan of baby carrots and dried apricots (organic unsulfured) - but I'm concerned because both have such large quantities of Vitamin A. I think the danger doesn't kick in until you consume over 10000 iu of Vitamin A. Should I be worried about (or avoiding) snacking on the carrots or a handful of apricots?

4) I know smoked meats should be avoided - and I've come across a couple of different reasons (nitrates and potential carcinogenic effects). The carcinogenic reasoning led me to wonder if BBQ sauce that contains "natural smoke flavor" should also be avoided? [I swear I am not stupid :p - but once the thought popped into my head I wasn't sure. It's all new territory for me]

5) I came across a couple of dietary cautions overseas - not from "Trained professionals" - which I had never heard back home in the U.S. I prefer U.S. expertise on these matters. :) So just to doublecheck:
- Does Ricotta cheese fall under the "Soft cheese" ban?
- Is soft-serve ice cream (e.g. DQ) ok to eat?

I'm sorry for the long post. I'm really an intelligent gal and well-informed nutritionally - just trying to tame some of my lingering concerns. :)

[JoanneOR]

Congrats on your pregnancy! I found some information on this site that I think might answer most of your questions:

http://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy/pregnancynutrition/index

As far as deli meat, I do believe it is safe if it is nuked. I don't remember how warm it needs to get, but steaming is probably good. I don't think the listeria applies to fresh-roasted turkey. I'm pretty sure it's just luncheon meats and hot dogs, although I'm not sure why.

I've never heard of avoiding flax seed. I'm sure the amount found in whole wheat bread is fine.

I wouldn't worry about the carrots or apricots. You'd have to consume quite a bit to be a problem with the vitamin A. And, those fruits and veggies are good for the baby!

I'm pretty sure the BBQ sauce is fine.

I don't know about the ricotta, but the soft serve ice cream is fine!!

Enjoy your pregnancy! Have you had your first doctor's appt. yet? I'm sure he can answer your questions. There are also books on nutrition during pregnancy that you could skim at a bookstore or check out at the library.

[LaraW]

Originally posted by Annonymous
I know this is hardly a new subject. :rolleyes: But I had a few fairly specific questions [arguably born of paranoia :)] and thought I'd toss them out in a separate thread.

1) I know the issue of listeria and deli meat (turkey, in my case, since that's the only "deli meat" I eat) has been covered on old pregnancy threads. I believe the consensus has been that it's okay to eat e.g. sliced turkey if you nuke it first. Is that correct? If so, how long to nuke it - until it's steaming?

5) I came across a couple of dietary cautions overseas - not from "Trained professionals" - which I had never heard back home in the U.S. I prefer U.S. expertise on these matters. :) So just to doublecheck:
- Does Ricotta cheese fall under the "Soft cheese" ban?
- Is soft-serve ice cream (e.g. DQ) ok to eat?

I can comment on these two for you, as this is information from my doctor.

If you heat any deli type meat until its steaming, you should be OK. That is hot enough to kill any potential listeria that may be there.

My doctor also said that soft cheeses such as cream cheese, ricotta, and cottage cheese are OK to eat while pregnant. This is not much of an issue for me, because generally the things I'm eating these cheeses in are cooked, but dr. still said they are OK.

Can't comment on the soft-serve ice cream, though I have had it 2 or 3 times since becoming pregnant and have not had any issues except for the humongous size of the ice cream cone :p but I do have an appt this Friday and could ask for you if you want.

Or, you could call your doctor and ask yourself if you feel comfortable doing so.

Congratulations! :)

[Beth H]

The concern about the soft cheeses lies with eating cheese that is not pastuerized (sp.). I believe that all cheese produced in the United States must be (by law) pastuerized. I am almost postive that ricotta cheese sold in the grocery store is pastuerized.

I think that many baby sites go overboard in warning women about the cheese - you do have to watch imported soft cheeses, so I think that to be safe, doctors will say just not to eat it at all. (since at other people's homes, restaurants, etc., you might not know the origin of the cheese) But if you are shopping for yourself, you certainly can check and see where the cheese was produced.

If you have plans to travel to Europe in your early pregnancy, you would really have to watch what kinds of cheese you eat there.

[Beth H]

Oh - I also wanted to add - don't make yourself too crazy with these dietary restrictions. I think much of the pregnancy literature in the United States just contributes to fear about eating certain things while pregnant.

[wallycat]

I can help on a few...
first off, carrots, veggies and fruit contain BETA-CAROTENE not vitamin A. Yes, the body can convert the beta-carotene into vitamin A if it needs to, but will not if it has enough, so you cannot OD on vitamin A by eating veggies and fruit. :)

I have not heard of not eating flax while pregnant; I wonder if this has anything to do with individuals at high allergy levels or genetic predisposition...seeds, nuts, etc. are advised against to protect the baby from developing allergies. I have recently read that this concern is while breast-feeding, but some are extra careful and worry about while pregnant.

From what I understand, the liquid smoke is distilled actual smoke, but since it did not interchange with meat (producing the heterocyclic amines that are the suspect cause in animal protein and BBQing), it should be OK...especially if you are talking about BBQ sauce that is eaten occasionally and not much of it on a per-serving basis. I have not done any research on this, but if it is pressing on your mind, I'll be happy to dive into this project :)

Riccotta is re-boiled whey so it should be fine...in addition to which you probably will use it IN something, so will be cooked through again.
I'm not sure what they put in soft-serve, but I think it is pasteruized milk that is simply less cold and has more forced air through it (plus what ever funny ingredients they may add) to make it "soft" serving.

If you are nervous about the deli meat, why not steam the whole thing when you get home and then refrigerate and use as needed...or freeze slices as you'd use them ...just a thought; maybe not quite well-thought out. I am not sure about microwaving because it doesn't cook evenly and if you are this concerned, would you be OK thinking you missed some sections that may contain the LIsteria?

Finally,
Congratulations on your pregnancy!!
Relax and enjoy the experience. I too think that as a society we are a bit over-cautious. THough in some instances it is warranted, most of the time, the way you've been living will be fine. THere is even debate about the occasional glass of wine...some say yes some say no...France is none the worse for it :D ;)

Again, Congrats!!!

[Annonymous]

Thanks for the responses! [and for indulging the incognito ID]

I do have pregnancy books - just weren't answering my specific questions. But I do agree - there can be such a thing as too much information!!! My mom's generation never had all these "rules", and I turned out just fine. :p

The ricotta thing I never heard/read of anywhere here, and because I know the risk lies with the unpasteurized aspect of the cheese, I honestly didn't understand the warning.

First doc appointment is in a couple of weeks, so I'll ask any lingering questions.

I saw the 270% RDA label on my carrots and it suddenly made me wonder... :rolleyes:

If you'll indulge one last stupid question. Bottled terriyaki or stir-fry sauce which lists sherry wine as one of the ingredients: is that something I should stay away from?


[Yes, I know, I'll stop thinking now :)]

[wallycat]

are you concerned about the sauces/stir-fry stuff because of the alcohol content?
I think you will be fine. First, they don't put a lot in there because good sherry costs $$. Second, you will be eating it with a lot of food; third, you will be cooking it, so a lot of the alcohol will evaporate.

Good luck at your appointment.
Stop focusing on the worry aspect and enjoy your "glow" and what changes you'll enjoy.

[RunnerKim]

If you cook (stir-fry)with the teriyaki sauce then the alcohol will be cooked out of it. But honestly I wouldn't worry about it unless you're eating it by the cupfuls. I even took a sip or two of a couple of different wines my DH thought I'd like :eek: :rolleyes: Remember all these dietary things are mostly guidelines - sometimes the risks can be pretty small. Personally I chose to keep them in mind but not be obsessive about them.

Kim

[LaraW]

I agree about the stir fry sauce, that you should be fine.

I also wanted to add that when you're ready to "come out" please join us over on the Pregnancy Thread! :)

[Annonymous]

Um...one other question.

My Dr. prescribed prenatal vitamins when we started trying to conceive [regularly took "normal" multivitamin - haven't been taking the prenatals alllllll that time]

But I've been diligently taking the prenatals since I ovulated [and conceived, as it turned out :)]

Today I suddenly noticed that the vitamins I have expire 8/03 (08/31/03 according to the package).

I'll get a fresh batch tomorrow. Usually I'm good at checking for expirations. I guess I didn't think these were that old - and/or assumed vitamins had a longer shelf-life.

Should I be worried at all that I've been taking these vitamins (mostly for the folic acid at this point) and I'm coming right up against the expiration date? Obviously nothing I can do now - just don't know if I should let myself worry that the vitamins aren't at "full strength" or something and maybe I haven't been getting all that folic acid or something.

Highly irrational, I know - I just sort of panicked when I saw that date this morning.

[LaraW]

I would not worry about it. Over time, OTC medication loses its potency, but I'm talking months or years after the expiration date. I would finish the vitamins you're taking and start with your new package you are getting tomorrow.

Take this with a grain of salt as it comes from someone who is a worrier: You will find that there is plenty of stuff to worry about during your pregnancy and much of it is out of your control. Please try not to come up with stuff to worry about - you'll drive yourself crazy. Enjoy this time - it is like no other.

:)

[Annonymous]

Lara - thanks very much for all the wise words :)

We had one that "didn't take", so to speak, at the beginning of the year - so while we're excited - our watchwords are "cautious optimism" at this point. I think that's why I'm freaking out so much about such little things :rolleyes:

[Logically - I know that if the vitamins were going to suddenly lose potency on July 31, the expiration date would hardly be Aug 31. Likewise, I know that the pills don't suddenly lose all powers on Sept 1. Sometimes logic has a hard time winning out...]

[MrsReber]

Hello- I agree with all that was said here. Don't obsess (easier said than done, I know). After 2 pregnancies where I ate soft cheeses and dabbled in cold cuts (not my favorite), my 2 kids are perfectly healthy. I agree that you can go in search of all this information and end up being completely paranoid for your entire pregnancy. Most things are okay in moderation. I ate plenty of brie and lived to tell about it. I also cooked with wine and whiskey, just made sure that I cooked everything hot enough and long enough to burn off the alcohol. I wouldn't worry about the vitamin expiration date. Also, in the first 2 weeks, you can't really harm the baby as it is simply an egg traveling down to the uterus. I drank plenty the week or so after I unknowingly concieved (darn Labor Day parties!). You mentioned that you just found out so I'm sure you're fine so far. Relax! Enjoy! This is the only time you will have to pay full attention to the wonders of pregnancy. If you get pregnant a second time, you'll be busy with baby number 1 and not so in tune with the things that are happening. But really, relax :) !

[LaraW]

Originally posted by Annonymous
I think that's why I'm freaking out so much about such little things :rolleyes:


I know about that. Once I did the math and figured out what day we actually conceived, I realized we'd had a dinner party that day and I'd had several glasses of wine. It wasn't until I had an ultrasound and could see that little baby for myself that I finally let that go (and I had my ultrasound at 18 weeks, so I was carrying that around for a long time. And I haven't completely let it go yet, probably won't until baby is born and I can see for myself that he/she is healthy :rolleyes: ).

[wallycat]

Your vitamins are probably perfectly fine.
They've done studies on Rx meds with expiration dates 5 years past and found the stuff to be fine (not that I"m recommending hanging on to Rx meds for that long...you get my point).

Most expiration dates are slapped on at random...
for example, something won't spoil in, say 3 years, then they may give it a shelf life of 2-1/2 or 3 years and not worry if it might survive longer. Mfgs. don't have the $$$$ or time to see what is the "longest amount of time" something is safe/viable/ to be out.

Remember that about 10 or so years ago, a lot of stuff never had expiration dates either..you had to hope that the grocer knew to rotate his stock.

Your vitamins are no doubt perfectly fine. I too would finish the bottle and start with the new ones...or take the new ones in the first trimester when the neural tubes are being formed, and switch to finish the other bottle when you're 1/2 way through your pregnancy.

If you are eating boxed cereals and pasta, those are also fortified with folic acid, so you are probably covered more than you know.

RELAX.
I don't want to worry you any more ...but remember that stress is not good for the baby. Take some yoga classes and enjoy your experience.
As someone pointed out, there will be things out of your control and you just have to let it go and realize that pregnancy has been around for awhile :) ;)

[slknight]

Originally posted by Annonymous
We had one that "didn't take", so to speak, at the beginning of the year - so while we're excited - our watchwords are "cautious optimism" at this point. I think that's why I'm freaking out so much about such little things :rolleyes:



I highly recommend a Pregnancy After Loss bulletin board. I know that I was much more anxious when I was pregnant than others because I had already had 1 m/c. It really helps to "talk" to other women in similar situations. There used to be a great board at parentsplace.com, but I don't think it is very well travelled since they switched their software. Most people migrated to this new board:

http://gynosaur.com/phorum/list.php?f=26

Hope that helps,
Susan

[Annonymous]

Thanks for all the feedback. :)

I do realize stressing helps nothing. And honestly - believe it or not - I'm not stressed most of the time - REALLY! :p I much prefer the "have faith and confidence" mindset; I know that stressing simply won't help anything.

But I did have those initial food questions sort of stored up. Then the vitamin thing this morning......well - I think it's one of those situations where I KNOW the answer - but I just feel immediately better by tossing the question out and getting that positive affirmation.

So thank you all very much for indulging - and for all your helpful words!!!

[wallycat]

You're welcome...
and we don't mind answering what we know. NOne of us do,I'm sure..
I know how you feel about "knowing" it but hearing it validates it even more.
Post away....but I think those who've answered just want to sort of reassure you and have you enjoy the pregnancy. You get to worry for 18+ years AFTER the baby arrives :) ;)

Hard to see someone we like worry...even though we don't know who you are....yet :D

[Jill123]

Back this truck up!!

I can't have RIBS when I'm pregnant?!? :eek:

[Beth H]

I can't have RIBS when I'm pregnant?!?

I honestly can't believe that eating ribs several times during pregnancy would impact you or the baby - saying that not having seen the articles referring to the smoked meats/carcinogens study.

I read an article recently (since I am hoping to join the pregnancy thread one of these days) that suggested women should throw out "What to Expect When You're Expecting" as it could make you insane with worry.

I mean, as someone above noted, some French doctors still advise their patients to have a glass of red wine a day during pregnancy. British doctors often suggest a pint of Guiness a week to prevent anemia. Our mothers were told just to "cut back" on smoking during pregnancy.

Not to suggest that I advocate drinking or smoking or eating unhealthfully during pregancy, but my feeling is that if you do your best to be healthy and eat most things in moderation, everything will be OK.

[MrsReber]

I ate plenty of bbq meats while pregnant. Hey, it was the summer the last time I was pregnant! I actually craved hamburgers for some odd reason, but it was a good thing because the meat contains iron. Anyway, I like my meat burnt on the grill. No red at all. I survived and so did my very healthy children! Go ahead! Eat ribs! If we all listened to everything that was published, we'd all starve to death while we were pregnant- no cheese, no meat, no cold cuts, don't eat too much of this or that. Puh-leeze! Moderation. Just try to maintain a normal, healthy diet and you'll be just fine!

[valchemist]

I have been keeping my mouth shut on this thread, but I am going to finally say something. I agree with Mrs Reber. with the exception of alcohol, there is nothing that I banned from my diet. I ate all types of cheeses and meats in moderation. I even had caffeine (though I did limit my consumption of that). I might have had a cup of coffee (or the equivalent) per day.

[Annonymous]

I didn't mean to freak anyone out or offend anyone with my questions. :o I'm not suggesting there is one strict "right" list of foods to eat when pregnant. And I'm certainly not judging anyone's choices in pregnancy nutrition. Heck - one of my good friends was shocked to learn Brie is now on the "bad" list - she doesn't think she would have made it through either pregnancy without her occasional Brie fix. :p

I think it can be a bit overwhelming when you start thinking about what you're eating not just in terms of your nutrition, but your baby's as well - especially early on in a first pregnancy. And in my case, simply knowing the reasons why "they" suggest avoiding certain foods allows me to better weigh that risk in finding a comfortable balance in a pregnancy diet.

As for the BBQ thing - I wasn't AT ALL saying BBQ is taboo [what do I know?! :p]. Honestly, the question about the smoke flavoring sort of popped into my head, and I just kind of wondered about it....

[Chefzhat]

I'm lining up behind Val on this one - I ate all kinds of supposedly "bad" food during both my pregnancies. My kids are fine. If it didn't taste good to me, I didn't eat it - popcorn comes to mind as one thing that I got turned off from.

Anonymous friend - it gets way too easy to obsess about the little things and not enjoy the larger process of being pregnant. Relax and enjoy! You have lots of support, assistance and knowledge available to you to help you make good choices. And I can't wait to find out your identity - when you're ready!!

Debie

((((((((hugs))))))))))

[Jill123]

MrsReber, Chefzhat, Val --

Thanks for your advice. Since deciding to start a family, I've read a lot of things on this BB that say, don't eat this, or do eat that, and avoid this at all costs, so I was starting to think I was going to have to do chemistry equations just to plan a meal! :rolleyes:

I'm not bashing Anonymous, as I was obviously going down that same path -- trying to do the "right" things. All the while, I kept wondering if my mom jumped through all these hoops while she was pregnant with us, and knowing my mom, I was almost sure she hadn't. :) We all turned out pretty healthy, so she couldn't have been doing things that poorly!

But times have changed and it seemed to fly in the face of modern technology to ignore all the warnings. Good to know a few "contemporaries" live a life similar to my own and have healthy (and I'm quite sure beautiful) babies.

Thanks again for the calming advice!

[Chefzhat]

Jill, I hope I didn't offend you, or anonymous either? I seriously wasn't trying to say to ignore modern technology and knowledge, I was really trying to say that, pregnant or not pregnant - there's so much information regarding food choices out there that seems to change daily and contradicts itself that your best bet is to listen to your doctor and your body regarding what to eat.

Here's a little background from me on this subject: I've just finished watching a pregnant friend obsess herself to death through her pregnancy (to the point of a completely raw diet), and now is obsessing over her new baby - no one can hold her because of germs; she can only be fed breastmilk from the breast so no bonding time for dad; baths a very specific times of the day with holistic music and water temps at exactly 98.6 degrees (to recreate the womb), and all sorts of other requirements, rules, etc. She's so cranked up, the baby feels the stress in the house and is cranked up, dad is wondering what just happened to his happy wife, - you get the picture.

It seems that there is so much information out there that some people forget that pregnancy is a natural process and should be enjoyed. A happy, relaxed mom makes a happy, relaxed baby.

So, anyway :) I was really trying to be reasonably encouraging! I hope I didn't come off as condescending!

hugs,
Debie

[sushibones]

I just found this interesting article on drug expiration dates (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/460159?mpid=17501) on Medscape.

[Jill123]

Originally posted by Chefzhat
Jill, I hope I didn't offend you, or anonymous either?

I was really trying to be reasonably encouraging! I hope I didn't come off as condescending!

hugs,
Debie

No, no, NO! I didn't think you were being anything but encouraging and extremely helpful!

It just goes to show --- I read my post over and over to make it sound as good as possible and there's always a possibility that the message doesn't come through as you want it to! We should have better smilies -- I would have put one up that would give you all hugs! :)

Thanks for your words of wisdom and experience -- it's just what I needed to hear!

[Annonymous]

Originally posted by Jill123
I'm not bashing Anonymous, as I was obviously going down that same path -- trying to do the "right" things

Thanks for not bashing me :p

Debie - no I haven't been offended. :) I think I still feel a bit bad - that my initial posting may have been misinterpreted a bit. So again:

I never meant to suggest that there is one set of hard and fast rules about what to eat when pregnant. To be fair, when I decided to post, I tossed out all the questions I could find bouncing around my head. In some cases, they reflected curiousity as much as anything. [E.g. the "warnings" about Ricotta and soft-serve I'd never heard in the U.S. I hadn't put any stock in them, but was curious if anyone had ever heard someting similar]. And as slknight noted, my personal history heightened my initial anxiety. I agree, too, there is so much information out there about foods it can be dizzying trying to sort it all out. [For example, I certainly think I was happier before I knew about the horrors of contaminated fish!! :(]

So for me it was just a matter of tossing out some questions that had cropped up in my head, or that were perhaps prompted by a mish-mash of food info I'd come across at some point. And as I mentioned earlier, my primary focus is in knowing the nature of the risk. For me, that's the best way to judge what I do or don't want to eat. And to be frank, there are a lot of foods that just aren't an issue for me. I'm not really a fan of soft-cheeses - I like Brie, but I rarely eat it - so that's just not a big deal for me. Don't like hotdogs either - so there's no sacrifice there. Love sushi - but to be honest there's only one place I can get good sushi in my current location, and we RARELY make it up there - so again, not a big problem or dilemma for me.

But if some of these foods were more a regular part of my diet, then I'm sure I would find a way to strike a balance with my preganancy diet. To each her own - I think as long as mommy is happy and well-fed and comfortable with her diet, baby will be happy, too!!

Sushibones - I couldn't access that article - but hopefully it didn't say anything bad! :o :D

[sushibones]

Sorry, I just now saw your reply. I'm still not getting email notification of replies. :(

I'm a Medscape subscriber, so I guess that's why the link didn't work for you. However, I found the same article (http://www.rense.com/general29/fom.htm) from another source. You should be able to read this one. It's basically just confirming what wallycat said.

[shelby'smom]

Hi Annonymous,

I just found out DH and I are now pregnant :) I also had a miscarriage earlier this year. Please PM me, if you would feel comfortable talking to me. Like you said, it is guarded optimism.


PS. This is an alias for me too, but I would feel comfortable e-mailing/PM-ing you from my real screenname.

[shelby'smom]

Bump :)